Exhibiting devices



1958 e. c. KINDRED 2,866,646

EXHIBITING DEVICES Filed Dec. 9, 1953 INVENTOR.

690176 Cffz'narea BY ATTORNEY 'EXHIBITIN G DEVICES George C. Kindred, Scarsda'le, N. Y., assignor to Underhill Investors, :Inc., 'Scarsdale, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December9, 1953, Serial No. 397,076 1 Claim. (131.27'4-4) My invention is an improved exhibiting device, and particularly an exhibiting device, for displaying articles of merchandise; such as electrical appliances for culinary and other domestic purposes; that are to be offered for sale.

An important object .of this invention is to provide an exhibiting device that will not only catch the eye and attract the attention of .a prospective buyer, but also will, if the article is lifted by anyone for examination, make a further appeal to .arouse greater interest, to the end that a :sale may result.

In its preferred form the device includes a depressible support on which a specimen or sample of any article can '-be presented to view. Beneath the support is -a small phonograph which bears a record disk with a sound track that will reproduce a line of talk calculated to impress the prospective customer and recommend the article for his own use and benefit. Attached to the mechanism of the phonograph is a switch so arranged that it is held by the weight of the article on the support to keep open an electric circuit containing a motor by which the phonograph is operated; but will automatically close so that the circuit is completed and the motor energized when the article is taken off the support. Further the phonograph is so designed that the sound box thereof is held by a spring in starting position, but with the needle raised, by the weight of the article on the support; and when the article is removed, the sound box sinks to insert the needle into the groove of the sound track on the record disk, and then the disk carries the needle and sound box with it as it rotates. But upon replacement of the article on the support, the weight of the article again raises the sound box and the spring moves the box back zontal partition 22 on which is the phonographic mechanism. When the cover .is down as far .as .it will ,go, the

' mechanism is inoperative; but if thecover is lifted slightly,

to the starting point, while at the same time the weight of the article also opens the aforesaid switch, so that the phonograph at once is stopped.

The nature and advantages of the invention are fully andclearly set forth hereinafter and the essential novelty of the improvement is defined in the claims. The drawings show a construction wherein the invention is incorporated; but of course minor alterations in the parts of the device may be adopted without really changing the essential construction or the principle by which it operates.

On said drawings:

Figure l is a top view of the device. Figure 2 is a vertical, sectional view through the middle thereof showing the parts in operative position after an article upon it has been lifted from the top; and Figure 3 presents a similar view with an article on the device and the parts inoperative but ready to operate as soon as the article is removed.

The phonographic mechanism is mounted in a casing 18 attached to the base in front of the panel 5. This casing has a hinged cover or support 19. Its sides have tabs 20 at their lower edges to fit into slots 21 in one of the halves of the top 7 in front of the panel 5 to hold the casing in place. Within the casing is a raised horithe mechanism Works, and emits reproduced sound. The cover .19 is normally held depressed by an article of merchandise standing on the cover, and when a prospective customer lifts thearticle to inspect it, the mechanism begins to work. Any electrical utensil, such as a mixer, or toaste or cooker or other culinary article, or in fact anything usually exhibited may be put on the cover 19 of the casing 18. The partition .22 is overlaid by a fixed plate 23 of suitable material, and the phonographic mechanism comprises a platen 24, mounted to rotate on avertical shaft 25 in a bearing .on the plate 23. The shaft .25 is turned by an electric motor 26 affixed to the plate .24, and connected to the shaft by belt and pulley or. other gearing shown at 27. The disk bearing the sound track is, of course laid on the platen 24, and above the platen is the sound box 28 with needle 29. This box is made fast at the end of an arm 30, which has a bearing or hub 31 for rotatably connecting the arm to an upright rod or stud 32, which is fastened at its lower end to the outer extremity of a resilient strip 33 attached to the plate 23 and projecting beyond the edge thereof. The sound box can thus be .swung about through a given angle on the stud '32. as an axis, and lifted and lowered as the stud 3.2 is tilted and the strip '33 is bent. A spring '34 coiled about the stud 32, and made fast at its lower end toithe plate 23 or stud 32, acts upon the arm '30 so as to swing the arm 30 and carry the sound box 28 into contact with the rear of the casing 18, so that the needle is right above the starting end of the sound track on the record. See Figure 7. When the platen begins to turn, the needle 29 and sound box 28 are lowered and the needle engages the disk, near the outer edge; and when the motor 26 operates, the needle follows the sound track and gradually moves towards the center of the disk till the sound reproduction is completed. The platen, sound box with needle, motor and connections to the shaft 25 are of well known design and are not parts of this invention.

Under the flexible resilient member 33 is a flexible resilient switch terminal 35, one end of which is secured to the partition 22. The opposite end is free and adopted to make contact with a fixed insulated terminal 36 on the plate 23. The terminals 35 and 36 are in an electric circuit 39 containing the motor 26 and a battery 40 that can be mounted on the lower side of the raised bottom 22 in the casing. The circuit also includes a second switch having a fixed terminal 37 on the plate 23 and a movable spring blade 39 fixed to the stationary terminal 37, and normally in contact with the terminal 36 on the plate 23, and with its free end in position to be engaged by a projection 41 on the arm 30 and extending downward. The movable switch terminal 35 is held in open position when the cover is depressed and fully shut, because the stud 32 and spring member 33 are then forced down and the terminal 35 is held out of contact with the stationary terminal 36. At the same time, because the resilient strip 33 is bent downward, the stud 32 is tilted and the sound box is raised so that the needle is disengaged from the record disk.

As stated above, the device is especially intended to exhibit electrical appliances for cooking and other purposes. In practice a toaster or mixer 42 is placed on the cover or support 19. When a patron lifts the appliance to look it over, the spring member 33 is released and pushes the stud or post 32 upward. This action enables the spring terminal 35 to close the electric circuit so that the motor starts and the platen 24 and disk revolve. Also the upward movement of the member 33 brings the stud 32 from a tilted to a vertical position and the sound box 28 is thenlowered from the position of Figure 9 to that of Figure 8. The needle 29 then engages the record disk and the record is played to the end of the sound track; and at last the projection 41 on the arm 30 strikes the movable switch terminal 38 and moves'it way from the terminal 36 to break the circuit 39, so that the motor 26 and platen 34 stop. If theappliance is replaced on the cover 19 at any time, even before the record is played through,

the stud 32 is again forced down, and the member separates the switch terminals 35' and 36. At the same time the soundbox 28 is lifted'from the record and the spring 34 on the stud swings this box and arm '30 back to starting position but above the record disk. The switch and the controlling means above described for keeping the mechanism inoperative when the support is held down by the weight of an article, but setting the phonographic An exhibiting device comprising a depressible member for an article of merchandise to be placed thereon, phonographic mechanism below said member, said mechanism comprising a rotatable platen for a disk bearing a sound track and a sound box with needle, depressible means below said member carrying said sound box and engaged by the member when depressed to hold the sound box out of operative relation with the disk, said means bearing a yielding element for holding the sound box adjacent the starting end of said sound track when the member is in depressed position, a switch comprising a flexible terminal engaged by said means and held open by said member, and article thereon, a second switch incircuit with the first-named switch and an elementmovahle with the sound box for opening said second switch when the sound box reaches the end of the sound track on said platen, said means being an upright stud on said flexible terminal having its upper end in contact with said member.

mechanism into operation at once as soon as the article is References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 628,194 Brown et a1. July 4, 1899 1,561,991 Michalove Nov. 17, 1925 2,118,320 McEwen May 24, 1938 2,305,086 Johnson Dec. 15, 1942 2,375,043 Shaffer May 1, 1945 2,596,016 Falk May 6, 1952 2,615,993 Carter Oct. 28, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 665,320 France May 6, 1929 969,625 France May 24, 1950 

